Tinsley, William, 1831-1902

William Tinsley was born in Hertfordshire; he had little formal schooling, but spent time at his uncle's Toll House near London, where he gossiped with travellers, read the newspapers, and learned something of the world. He walked to London at the age of twenty-one to make his fortune, and opened a publishing house with his brother. They became prominent publishers, specializing in novels, and Tinsley associated with some of the key authors of his day, including Wilkie Collins and Thomas Hardy.

The Tinsley brothers, Edward (1833-1866) and William (1831-1902), set up in the book trade business around 1854. They focused mainly on publishing fiction for the popular lending libraries, and specialized in luxuriously bound three-volume novels. In 1866, at the sudden death of Edward, William took over the management of the firm, which went bankrupt in 1878, although he continued to publish books under the supervision of trustees. William also founded TINSLEY'S MAGAZINE, which ran in various formats from 1867 to 1892.